Agustín Vial
Agustín Vial Santelices (27 August 1772 – 1838) was a Chilean lawyer, politician and judge.
He served as Minister of Finance, Vice President of Chile, president of the Senate of Chile, and a member of both chambers of the National Congress of Chile. His public career extended from the late colonial period through the early decades of the Chilean Republic.
On 22 December 1823, Vial submitted a proposal to the Constituent Congress concerning a state monopoly on tobacco and other commodities. The initiative formed part of contemporary debates over public revenue and fiscal administration.
Education
Vial was born in Concepción on 27 August 1772, the son of Manuel José de Vial Jarabeitía and María Mercedes Madrazo de Santelices Aránguiz. He studied at the Real Colegio de San Carlos and obtained a bachelor's degree in canon and civil law from the Royal University of San Felipe. He qualified as a lawyer on 16 April 1798.
He married María del Rosario Formas Patiño in Santiago, with whom he had nine children. Four of their sons, Manuel Camilo, Ramón, Rafael and Antonio Jacobo Vial Formas, subsequently served as parliamentarians. He was also related by marriage to Ramón and Francisco Formas Patiño.
In 1826, Vial served as a substitute professor of civil law, canon law and Chilean legislation.
Political career
Early public service
Vial began his administrative career during the Spanish colonial period. In 1799, he was appointed acting secretary of the Captaincy General of Chile, becoming a permanent senior official the following year. In 1802, he was appointed administrator of the Valparaíso Customs Office.
Following the establishment of the first Chilean governing junta in 1810, Vial became involved in the emerging independence movement. On 2 May 1811, he was appointed a representative for Valparaíso to the governing junta. He subsequently participated in its reorganization and served in its financial administration.
During 1811 and 1812, Vial held several secretarial positions in successive governing bodies, including the Executive Tribunal, the Provisional Government Junta and the Representative Junta of Sovereignty. In April 1813, he temporarily served as an auxiliary secretary responsible for military affairs.
Following the patriot defeat at the Battle of Rancagua in October 1814, Vial was imprisoned and exiled to the Juan Fernández Islands. He returned to Chile after the patriot victory at the Battle of Chacabuco in February 1817.
Ministerial and judicial career
During the government of Supreme Director Bernardo O'Higgins, Vial held responsibilities in financial and military administration. The parliamentary biography records ministerial appointments in September and October 1821.
On 28 January 1823, following the resignation of O'Higgins, Vial became Minister of Finance under the new governing junta, succeeding José Antonio Rodríguez Aldea. He also assumed responsibility for the War portfolio during the transitional administration.
He remained Minister of Finance until 8 April 1823, when Pedro Nolasco Mena succeeded him during the government of Ramón Freire.
On 30 December 1823, Vial was appointed a judge of the Santiago Court of Appeals. He subsequently served as a substitute justice of the Supreme Court from 21 May to 17 October 1825 and again between May and August 1828.
On 9 September 1826, Vial was appointed Vice President of Chile and Minister of the Interior during the administration of Agustín Eyzaguirre. He also held the Ministry of Finance from 9 September to 20 October 1826, succeeding Manuel José Gandarillas and preceding Melchor de Santiago Concha.
Parliamentary career
Vial participated in the early representative institutions of Chile. In 1811, he represented Valparaíso in the governing junta and performed secretarial duties on several occasions.
He was elected deputy for Santiago to the Constituent Congress of 1823, serving on the Permanent Commissions on Constitution and Finance.
During the 1828–1829 legislative period, he was designated to replace deputy Pedro Nolasco Mena for Chillán because of the latter's illness. However, Vial did not appear to take the required oath of office.
In 1829, he was elected deputy for Talca and served on the Permanent Commissions on Ecclesiastical Affairs and Finance.
For the 1831–1834 legislative period, Vial was elected both senator for Maule and deputy for Talca. He chose to serve in the Senate, where he participated in commissions dealing with government, finance, military affairs, constitutional legislation and foreign relations.
He was appointed provisional president of the Senate on 30 May 1832 and formally held its presidency from 2 June 1832 to 5 June 1833, succeeding José Ignacio Cienfuegos and preceding Fernando Errázuriz Aldunate.
Vial continued serving as senator during the 1834–1837 legislative period, participating in the Permanent Commission on Government. His parliamentary service took place during the transition to the institutional framework established by the Chilean Constitution of 1833.
Death
Vial died in Santiago in 1838 while serving as a senator. The parliamentary biography of the Library of the National Congress gives conflicting dates for his death, identifying both 26 June and 26 July 1838.